The Runaways II
by Kuroi Uma
Summary: After a long vacation in Greece, Heero and Relena have settled in the French countryside living an ordinary and peaceful life, but how long can peace last when a friend suffers a murder attempt and a possible enemy comes back from the dead? HeeroXRelena
1. Ordinary People?

**Chapter 1 – Ordinary People ?**

He entered the car, but not before covering the seat with a towel, and placed his toolbox on the floor in front of the passenger's seat. Working as a repairman was a lot harder than he had thought, mostly because he was always dealing with clients, but sometimes the job itself was trying. It had been hard for him at the beginning, there were not many things he knew how to do, still he tried to adapt what he did know to the reality they were living in at the moment. There was also the language, which he had to learn practically from zero, and if not for his first rate memorizing skills he would still be struggling to communicate. Relena had helped, of course, easily convincing all those she met to give him a chance and hire him whenever they needed. It had been a lot easier for her and not just because she was fluent in French.

When they were still in Greece getting used to their newly discovered intimacy and wondering how they were going to start over, the 'where to go' question had arisen. Neither of them saw the need to leave Europe and seek an environment completely different from what they knew, especially not after having traveled as far as South America and getting lost in the Amazon rainforest. Relena had suggested France because her adoptive family was originally from that region. He had suggested the countryside for he felt his need to get away from his past had grown to a point where he could no longer ignore it.

They purchased a small house in a little French town and moved in even before they had bought the furniture. Relena, with her amiable nature, had quickly made friends with half their side of the town and been offered a position as an English teacher in the local school. She accepted immediately, excited to be teaching not only children, but a night class of adults and mostly elders, twice a week as well. She was happy.

Pulling up in front of the cottage, he grabbed his keys and strolled to the door, opening it with practiced ease despite the rustiness of the lock. The table was set as impeccably as she liked it, but the lights in the kitchen were off. It was a two bedroom-one bathroom house with a small living/dining room and an even smaller kitchen. They had turned the second bedroom into an improvised study with a desk and a couple bookshelves. That was where he found her, typing at her laptop, sheets of paper spread all over the desk, her teaching book open beside her.

"They have tests next week." she explained, looking up to smile at him, at the sight of his stained, still moist, clothes her smile widened and she had to hold back her laugh. "You look like you crawled out of the gutter." she turned the chair so he could give her a kiss, then wrinkled her nose. "You _smell _like you crawled out of the gutter."

"Thank you." he said simply, making her chuckle, and headed back to the door. "I need a shower."

"I'll finish preparing the food." she shouted after him before closing the laptop and stretching. A smile insinuated itself into her face as she thought about him coming straight after her the moment he arrived and greeting her so nonchalantly with a kiss. A few years ago she would have never thought it possible. It had only been three years since they had run away and hidden, but the simple life and country air had already changed him, easing his mind enough that he could let his soft side show and actually be himself. She had never seen him more at ease and it was relieving.

Turning on the stove, she added a few basil leaves to her tomato sauce and stirred it. The smile still attached to her lips. Heero arrived right before the sauce started boiling and took a look over her shoulder at the already boiling pasta. She turned around assessing his current condition and nodded satisfied, before running a hand through his wet hair as if trying to straighten it.

"I love you." she whispered. He smiled tenderly and gave her a long kiss. "I was late for work this morning and it was your fault."

"My fault?" his voice was neutral, making her wonder if he was feigning innocence or if he had not understood her.

"I have to stir the sauce." Relena turned back to the stove. "How was your day?"

"Long." he answered, leaning against the counter behind her, the kitchen barely big enough for the two of them. After she sent him a glare over her shoulder, he decided to elaborate. "Madame Allard forgot how to turn on her washing machine again… The law firm had a drinking fountain to install and Monsieur Beaulieu had a leaking pipe that turned out to be a lot more troublesome than either of us had imagined."

"Then that's the gutter you crawled out of." he could hear the smile in her voice.

"How was _your_ day?"

"Pretty uneventful." she shrugged, but he knew she would not be able to stop there. "I'm really happy with their progress, especially the night class'. It's so…" she turned off the stove and took the pasta to the sink where she emptied the pot into a strainer, all that while searching for a word. "Gratifying! To see how excited they are, learning something new at their age."

"Hn." he nodded, dumping the sauce in a plate before taking it to the table. She followed with the pasta.

While she lit a few candles, he opened a bottle of wine and filled their glasses. They toasted in silence, sharing the smile of accomplices, and started eating with only the sound of the silverware clinking against their plates. After sometime, Relena decided to speak, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"I think we should have a picnic this weekend." she commented wrapping the spaghetti around her fork. "We could do it the French way… Take some cheese, a bottle of wine, maybe some bread and fruit."

"We can go on Sunday. I might have to work on Saturday…"

"That sounds nice. Then I can finish preparing those tests on Saturday…" she held her head in her right hand, watching him thoughtfully. "Have you ever thought about going to college?"

"College?" he raised his head, inspecting her eyes for any clues as to where that conversation was heading, but, aside from her absent mindedness, he did not notice anything remotely helpful. "No, I haven't."

"I've been thinking about it… My mother always wanted me to be a doctor, though my father thought my skills would be put to better use if I went to law school. Either way I'd be helping people which is my goal."

Heero sat still throughout that speech, wondering what he should say to that. "If that's what you want." he told her finally, It did not seem to be the right thing to say though for she resumed eating rather unwillingly. "I'm sorry." he forced himself to say then. "You caught me off guard."

She raised her head and smiled to tranquilize him. "It's all right."

"I've been thinking about…" he paused, trying not to sound like he was too desperate to change the subject.

"About?" she urged him.

"I've been thinking about getting a dog."

"Oh…" her smile widened and she chuckled. "For some reason, I thought you were going to say you were thinking about getting married." she explained when he gave her a puzzled look, and quickly pretended to be overly interested in her food.

"Do you want to?" he asked quietly, certainly not as disturbed by the idea as she had thought he would be.

Relena was anything but prepared for that question, so she gapped at him for a few seconds before her clouded brain came up with anything. "I don't know. I used to dream of my wedding day and imagine myself married when I was a girl, but so much has changed since then…"

He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could utter a word her cell phone rang. She stared at him for a fraction of a second, hesitating, willing him with her mind to ignore the phone and say whatever he was going to say, but the moment was lost and they both knew it. So she stood up and picked up the phone inside her purse which lay abandoned in the armchair.

"Hi, Quatre." she greeted him happily after checking the caller ID, and pressed the speaker button so Heero could take part in the conversation.

"Hey, 'Lena." he sounded extremely tired. "Is Heero there?"

"Yes, he's here." she placed the phone on the table, in front of Heero, and sat on his lap. "Are you okay?"

There was a pause during which they exchanged worried glances, then Quatre spoke again. "I've got bad news…" another pause just as long. "Duo was shot. He's stable, but in a coma, and we still don't know when he'll wake up…"

"Who…?" Heero did not have to elaborate.

"That's the problem… We don't know. It was obviously an attempted homicide, but Duo was the only one who saw the gunner and until he awakes…"

"I see. You're afraid whoever's after Maxwell may be after all of us."

"Yes." he agreed rather reluctantly. "What do you think?"

"I think it's probable. What reason would anyone have to want Maxwell dead?"

"Of all of us… I honestly don't know. Unless they're after the lot of us. That's what I thought at least." Quatre agreed. "But I'll let you know when we've got news."

"Preventers is running an investigation I suppose."

"They are. I'll call if they find out anything in the meantime."

"Hn."

"So how are you guys?"

"We're alright." Relena smiled sadly, though he could not see it. She could no longer feel happy knowing their friend was lying in a hospital bed not too far from them. "How are _you_?"

"Busy, as usual. Or so I was until this tragedy happened… Now, Rashid has tripled my security and I barely get to leave my house except to visit Duo. I guess things will remain this way until the culprit is arrested."

"I know how that is." she told him sympathetically, having been under tight security herself once or twice during her public life. "You think maybe we should visit?"

"Relena…" Heero started, his voice reproachful, but she did not let him finish.

"They're our friends, Heero, and they're going through hard times." she reasoned rather incredulous that he might refuse to go.

"'Lena, Heero's right. With things the way they are… We don't know who this guy is, what he wants and where he's hiding. It would be very dangerous and extremely unwise for you to come." Quatre told her gently though there was a touch of seriousness in his voice as if to stress his words.

She sighed. "Alright. We'll stay, but you call us as soon as anything changes."

"I will." they could practically see him nod. "Take care, guys."

"You too, Quatre." Relena told him sincerely. "Take care."

For a long time after Quatre hung up, they remained there, in silence. Heero ran his fingers up and down Relena's back though he was not conscious of it, his mind was far away. He wondered who might want them dead now… Had he missed something? Had Wufei had someone who might want revenge for his death? Or maybe for Treize's yet again? It could not be another anti-peace faction or could it? In that case, would Relena still be in danger though she was no longer influent? No, Relena would always be influent and always in danger regardless of her involvement or lack thereof in politics.

With a kiss she brought him back to reality. "Where were you?" she asked softly. He merely shook his head. "Did you remember anything?"

"No. I can't think of anyone or anything that would lead to Maxwell getting shot."

"You really believe they could be after all of us?" her tone betrayed her worry though, on the outside, she remained strong.

Heero caressed her cheek lightly, his eyes softening. "We're safe here."

"I don't wanna have to run away again." she confessed in a whisper as he pushed her hair behind her ear.

He met her eyes, serious. What could he say to that? He was not entirely sure they were safe there, but he had told her they were anyways. Should he make promises he might not be able to keep? He did not want to lie to her.

"This can't be any worse than all the things we've already been through. We'll get over this and move on with our lives like we've always done."

She hugged him tightly. "You're right. This is not the time to worry about that." when she pulled away her smile was back and bright. "Let's finish our dinner. Then, I'll light up a candle for Duo. It's going to be all right in the end."

Though he did not feel quite as confident, he smiled reassuringly and hoped, within his heart, that she was right.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Well, I never thought I'd actually write a sequel, but... here it is! Sorry, I couldn't come up with a better title. If you're interested let me know and I'll continue. Thanks for reading!


	2. Walking Backwards

**Chapter 2 – Walking Backwards**

"Stop thinking." he told her.

The sun had yet to rise, they still had one hour before they had to get up, but she lay awake in the bed, staring up at the ceiling, she was indeed thinking about the things Quatre had told them. At the interruption, she smiled though, turning to meet his eyes, but he had not opened them and she had no idea how he knew she had been thinking. He was a heavy thinker himself, sometimes she could almost hear his thoughts, maybe that was how.

"I will."

"Hn." he sounded half asleep.

Her smile widened. Even though she was not peeking at him anymore, she knew he must be looking like the innocent child he had never been allowed to be. People still called him 'kid' even though he was already twenty-five. She wondered if he would ever look old… One side of her hoped he would for she could not wait to admire a more mature form of him, but there was also a side, albeit smaller, that wanted things to remain just as they were, that wanted to be young forever. If only she could freeze time and space so they could live like this eternally… It seemed their peace never lasted long.

In the blink of an eye, the alarm started beeping on the bedside table beside her. She sighed, disentangling herself from the covers so she could turn it off and get up. Heero rolled onto his side as well, sitting, and seemed to stay there for a long time contemplating their problem. When she walked out of the bathroom and back into their bedroom, freshened up, he was still where she had left him. It made her stop and sit down beside him. She placed a worried hand on his shoulder and, at her touch, he finally seemed to wake up.

"I still can't figure it out." he shook his head with a frown.

"Maybe it's someone new, someone we don't know." she watched him closely, removing a fallen hair strand from his white T-shirt. "There's no use dwelling on it."

"I know." he stood up and headed to the bathroom.

She stood up as well and headed to the closet. Hanging on the farthest side, she saw the overalls she had bought him when he got his first job. He had seemed to think it was some kind of joke and had hung the thing there, where it remained ever since, untouched. Sighing, she checked her look in the mirror and placed a pearl necklace around her neck, a final touch. She turned around in time to see him pull his gun out of the drawer in his bedside table, she had not even heard him come back.

"I thought you had gotten rid of that." she commented, her tone neutral.

He loaded the black pistol in a matter of seconds, the sounds horribly comforting to his ears. "You should probably carry one as well." he added as he moved to the closet. "We don't know who we're dealing with."

"You said we were safe here." her voice came out both hurt and confused, halting him in mid action.

"For now." Heero held her shoulders and turned her around, meeting her eyes. "I know it's hard, but we have to act like everything's all right. We cannot go on alarming the entire town."

"You're right." she nodded. "I'm sorry. It's going to be okay. We're gonna be alright."

With a nod, he let his hands fall so he could resume getting dressed. She smiled at him as she left and headed to the kitchen. Still, he could not shake the feeling that somehow things had started falling apart.

* * *

"Are you off to lunch?" Francine asked in French as Relena closed the classroom door.

"Yes. What about you?" she smiled at the second youngest teacher of the school.

"My boyfriend is here from Madrid. We're eating at the café down the street. Would you like to join us?"

"Thank you, but Heero's picking me up. We're eating downtown."

"Alright, but you have to meet Guillermo before you go." the young woman sounded truly excited as they strolled towards the exit. "Are you in a hurry?"

"No, not really." Relena checked her watch. "I should have another quarter of an hour before Heero gets here."

"Class ended earlier today?"

"It did. They were all so quiet today… Maybe it's the weather, it's gotten a little chilly."

"Yeah… I hear it's going to rain this weekend."

"Really? Heero and I were going to have a picnic." she lamented just as they walked out and into the parking lot.

Parked right in front of the entrance, at the end of the steps, was a black sedan. Francine waved at the man who stood leaning against the driver's door and his smile widened, a smile Relena had never expected to see again for as long as she lived. The dark hair, the sun tanned skin, the charming smile, she would never forget the first time she had seen him, standing on the bar of that cheap hotel in Manaus.

"Relena?" he asked surprised as he took the steps towards them two at a time. "Or should I still call you Karen?" he joked, making her smile.

"Oh, my God, Al! We thought you were dead. Why didn't you say something?"

"Well…" he looked away as if the answer was written in the sky somewhere. "I wanted out as much as you two did. I figured disappearing and becoming someone else was as good an opportunity as any." the man shrugged, smiling again.

"Wait." Francine, who did not understand a word of what was being said, but who had gotten a clue of what was going on waved her arms to attract their attention. "You know each other?"

"Si, bella." her boyfriend told her. "We met when I still worked in private security. Miss Darlian here was someone important back then." he finished in English not knowing if Relena's past was common knowledge around the town or not. "Or is it Mrs. Yuy now?"

"I doubt Heero would want me to bear his surname even if we were married." she chuckled, feeling slightly uncomfortable for some reason.

"I see. Would you like to join us for lunch?"

"Actually, Heero's coming to pick me up… Maybe another day? How long will you be staying in town?"

"Honestly? I don't know. I don't really have anywhere else to go, so… If I get a job, I might as well stay forever."

"Well, good luck with that." she smiled worriedly when she noticed, out of the corner of her eye, Heero parking a few meters away. "I should go."

"What? Already? Has Heero arrived yet?" Almeida looked around, spotting Heero as he climbed out of the car. "There he is. Maybe he'll agree to join us for lunch?"

She highly doubted that, but there was no time to say it. Heero spotted the man before she could stop him and, by that almost invisible twitch of his eyebrow, she knew he was anything but happy. Relena wondered if he was jealous or if he simply disliked the man. Maybe a little bit of both.

"Hey, Heero." the black haired man raised one hand in greeting, his smile friendly.

The former gundam pilot's eyes hardened. "What are you doing here?" was all he offered, his voice as cold as ice.

Francine, who stood completely confused and forgotten beside her boyfriend, looked from one man to the other and then to her fellow teacher, her eyes wide. Relena smiled apologetically, knowing that Heero was probably scaring the other woman. She was impressed at how fast he had returned to his old self, his training ingrained in him… Would he ever be able to get rid of it? Once she had thought he would, now she was no longer sure.

"I'm moving in with my girlfriend." Almeida answered, dropping an arm on Francine's shoulders, forcing her to take a step towards him. Her eyes were glued to Heero's though, as if afraid he might strike at any second. His eyes did narrow, but that was all the response they got from him.

"I think we should go." Relena linked her arm through his, smiling as if nothing had happened. "I'm sure we can have lunch together another day, right?"

"If you say so." Guillermo, or whatever his name was those days, sounded disappointed. "It's a promise, huh?" he winked at her, tightening his hold on Francine.

"A bientot, Francine." she waved to her friend as the woman walked around the car to climb into the passenger's seat.

"A bientot." the woman answered absent mindedly.

After a wave and a honk, they were gone. Relena chanced a look at Heero who still had to reproach her and realized she was more afraid of his silence than of the sermon he was bound to give her. If he suddenly stopped talking to her she would surely die, it had taken so long for her to get him to open up, to get used to chatting with her and sharing his thoughts instead of answering in monosyllables as if she were his superior or a mere acquaintance.

"You have to admit this is an amazing coincidence." she decided to break the silence.

He snapped out of his trance, turning to look at her with a frown. "This is no coincidence." and with that he started walking back to the car, making Relena stroll to keep up with him.

"What else could it be?" she questioned him, confused. "Don't tell me…"

"Yes, he could be here to kill us."

"To kill us? Why would he want to kill us? And why would he have shot Duo? They were friends!"

He turned to face her as they reached the car. A loud clang sounded from the construction site across the street then, and he pulled the gun from behind his back even before he had time to analyze the sound. It was a reflex and it took him a fraction of a second. Realizing there was no immediate danger, he holstered the pistol, meeting Relena's preoccupied gaze.

"I don't know who that man truly is or what he is doing here, but it cannot be a coincidence." his eyes softened lightly when they met hers. "He must have his reasons to want Maxwell dead and maybe the rest of us as well."

"If he wanted us dead, wouldn't he have killed us three years ago?" she shook her head. "It just doesn't make sense."

"Something must have changed along the way. Before there was nothing in it for him, but now there is."

"You think he's some sort of mercenary?" she seemed almost afraid of the word and its horrid meaning.

"If he were, we'd need only beat whatever offer he's received." he did not think things were that simple and he wanted her to be prepared. "I don't think he's working for anyone."

"I don't think he's our enemy, Heero. Maybe he can help." Relena tried to reason with him.

Heero frowned, his eyes hardening once more. "I'll have Une send me all the information they have on him and I'll make my own investigation." She watched him get back in the car, but did not follow. They would not be having lunch, and she knew it. Not that she minded, she had long lost her appetite. "Stay away from him." Heero added before driving away, not giving her the chance to protest.

Relena sighed. She had a feeling they were going back in time and she did not like it. Most of all she did not like him giving her orders as if she were still a girl, she would not go looking for Almeida, but she would not run from him either.

* * *

Relena's problem, he figured, was that she considered everyone innocent until proven otherwise. She did not see the evilness in people, only the goodness, and she refused to believe evil was a natural trait humans were born with. Heero knew better. Still, he realized that for someone like her, who had tried to save humanity, it was an essential trait. He had saved the planet, but there surely were some people who he would have rather not spared.

Almeida was one of them.

First he was Brazilian, then he was half British. Now, he was Spanish. Heero had not missed the way he was dressed, he had been to Spain during a mission seven years before, had lived there undercover long enough to know how people dressed and behaved. He believed what he had told Relena… They did not know who that man truly was, but he hoped Une did. She must have had his background checked before she hired him.

"Heero." the woman seemed genuinely surprised when her image appeared in his laptop's screen.

"Une." he nodded.

"This is about Maxwell I presume." she intertwined her fingers before laying her hands on the desk.

"I need information on that agent who acted as a guide when we were in Brazil." he went straight to business, pausing to make sure she had understood him. "William de Almeida is his name."

"William de Almeida." she repeated thoughtfully as she typed. "There's nothing on him in our system…" her sharp eyes ran over the screen. "Or anywhere else…" she met his eyes again. "Are you sure that's his name?"

"No." he admitted.

"Do you have a picture? Or a finger print?"

"I don't, but I can arrange that." he agreed, having thought about it himself.

"I hope you've got a lead." she told him honestly, a touch of sadness to her voice. "We're still pretty much at a loss."

"And Maxwell?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

She shook her head sadly, then eyed him seriously. "Heero, I'll restore your access to our database under a temporary Special Agent's status."

"I appreciate that." he told her honestly.

Une nodded, a small smile creeping into her lips. "Welcome back."

"Hn." he acknowledged.

When the screen blinked off, he was sure Almeida had to be the one. Why else would he have erased all traces of his previous existence? Had he used a fake ID within the organization or had he changed it when he left? Either way, he was hiding his true identity from them and that fact in itself was suspicious. No one did anything without a good reason. Or that was what he had learned.

He checked his watch, Relena's class would be over in twenty minutes. She usually liked to walk home, it was not that far and Francine accompanied her a good part of the way. Francine… Surely with her boyfriend in town – if that was really what he was – she would get a ride home and offer Relena a lift as well. In that man's car. Heero sighed, should he trust her to stay away from Almeida as he had asked her to? Or rather, _did _he trust her?

Picking up his keys, he headed out. She would probably figure out his conclusion the moment she laid her eyes on him, and she would definitely be angry because he had not trusted her. Truth was, her safety was the only thing he did not trust her with, in all other aspects he trusted her completely. Even with his own life.

Relena stopped on the steps when she saw him parked there, her head tilting slightly to the side as she raised her eyebrows curiously. Francine caught up with her then, probably telling her she was ready to go to which Relena answered pointing towards him with a shake of her head. They said their goodbyes, parting with waves and smiles. Heero watched as Francine made her way to the other side of the parking lot where her boyfriend's black sedan waited for her. The thought that Relena would have entered that car if he had not been there… It was like a ghost breathing on his neck. He would not make that mistake again.

She got in the car and fastened her seatbelt without a word. He pulled out of the parking lot and into the street, angry at her for making him feel like he had done something wrong just by being silent. They had been living without any kind of worry during the last three years, it was no wonder the sudden apparent overprotectiveness seemed to suffocate her. He had been the one most eager to erase the past or maybe that was what he had thought. Aside from the life of a soldier, he had never known or experienced any other kind of life… Relena had. Before the war, before him, she had been a girl like any other. Rich, but ordinary. She did not have to worry about being killed or kidnapped. Recovering that unconcerned life had probably meant more to her than she ever let on, but he could see it now. Clearly.

"I know he was our enemy at some point, Heero, and I know you never trusted him – even though he was faking it – but don't you think this is a little too much?" she asked wearily as they parked in front of their house, and he got out of the car gun in hand.

He cocked the pistol, the feeling of the cold metal still frighteningly comforting, and met her eyes over the roof of the car. "No."

Relena sighed. "Do you really think it's him?"

Heero pushed her gently behind him as he opened the door. There was no one. He walked further inside the house, checking the kitchen, the bathroom, the bedroom and the study. Nothing. Still, he felt it, a disturbance in the energy of the house, it was so strong he could almost see it. He had developed that kind of sixth sense during his training years and it had grown sharper with the war, but maybe after three years… "Maybe you're right." he told Relena as he walked out of their bedroom.

"I…" she started, but froze, her eyes widening as she stared at something over his shoulder. A chill ran down her spine, but she walked past him towards their bed where a single rose laid. A yellow rose barely visible against the cream colored comforter. She picked it up with shaky hands, wondering what it meant… Was it yellow for friendship? Jealousy? Or was it yellow for new beginnings? "Did you…?" she turned back to him, her tone hopeful, but he shook his head his eyes betraying his concern. "Heero, it could not have been Al'… He was picking up Francine."

"I know." he was obviously displeased by that fact, though that did not lessen his suspicions. That rose, from his point of view, was practically a confession. Almeida had been interested in Relena ever since he had first met her. However, that did not prove he was the one who had shot Duo. Could it be a coincidence after all? Heero did not think so. There had to be a connection somewhere, he only had to find it. At least, it seemed, if Almeida was the shooter, Relena was not on his list. Maybe that meant he was.

"What does this mean?" Relena sat on the bed, the flower still in her hands, wondering at the same thing he was.

"It could mean a lot of things…" he told her honestly, his voice softening. "But, above all, it means we're no longer safe here."

She twisted the rose in her fingers. "What are you suggesting?"

"We have to leave."

"But, Heero…" she shook her head, still disbelieving that her entire life had fallen apart in less than twenty-four hours. "We just got here. Our lives have barely started…"

"I know." he gently removed the flower from her hands, so she would stop staring at it, and placed it aside as he kneeled in front of her, forcing her to finally meet his eyes. "Once, I asked you to trust me… Now, I must do it again."

"Heero…" Relena had to blink back her tears.

"No one may know we're leaving. Don't go anywhere without me unless you must. In that case I want you to carry a gun. If that man got in and out of the house while I was seating right across the corridor…" he frowned.

"How long…" she cleared her throat. "How long can we still stay?"

"We leave on Monday, before dawn. That should give us a couple extra days." A couple more days would be enough for him to get a picture or a finger print and send it to Une. Who was William de Almeida? If it really had been him, if he really had been able to sneak in on a former gundam pilot, it was essential that they uncover his true identity. They had to know who they were dealing with.

* * *

**A.N.'s: **I know things may seem like they're moving too fast, but trust me that's on purpose. Just to warn you, my French is very, very basic and my knowledge of the meaning of rose colours comes strictly from the internet, so be nice. You may correct me if I'm worng, I'm always willing to learn. Thanks for reading!


	3. Easy Come

**Chapter 3 – Easy Come…**

"Francine? Hi, Heero and I are going to have a picnic tomorrow. Would you and Guillermo like to come?" there was a pause, and she met Heero's eyes across the room. Why he had asked her to invite their supposed enemy she did not know, but he seemed to have something planned. "In the park downtown… Yes, of course. There's no rush. We'll be waiting for you. Alright. _À demain_!"

Relena turned off the phone, resting her chin on her hands as she studied him from her seat at the dining table. Her head tilted slightly to the side in what had become some sort of habit. "So… Will you tell me what's going on?"

He leaned back on the couch, crossing his arms, and looked up at the ceiling as if he were choosing his words. "This time I'm going to need your help." he met her eyes then, but she seemed rather pleased by that information. Or maybe he should call it an acknowledgment, from her point of view it surely must look so. "I need to get a finger print and a picture so I can identify him. He's bound not to let his guard down around me, but he has no reason to be suspicious of you."

"What about the fact that I am with you?"

"Our opinions have always diverged when it came to him." his voice was nothing but neutral, yet it made her smile. "He doesn't need to know anything's changed."

"Then I'll pretend to still trust him while you just… Well, do what you always do." he raised an eyebrow at that, but she ignored it. "And how am I supposed to get a picture? And a finger print?"

"You are the diplomat, Relena." he paused. "'Do what you always do.'"

She threw the phone at him, knowing he would catch it before it could do or receive any damage, and pretended to be insulted. "And where do I get the finger print?"

"Anywhere. It could be a glass, a bottle… We'll scan it when we get home."

"And the picture?"

Heero stood up and made his way towards her, placing the cell phone back on the table. "This should be enough."

Relena sighed. "Are you sure it's him? What if we're just wasting our time?"

"Right now, he's the only suspect we've got. As long as we can discover who he really is, it won't be a waste of time."

"But if he has erased everything about his existence within Preventers… Wouldn't he have erased the rest of his past as well?"

"He might not have. I'd bet he's cocky enough to think no one will ever find out. His carefulness must have its limits."

"I hope you're right."

"Even if he has been careful enough to erase all his digital records, he must not have gone through the trouble of erasing all manual records… We'll dig him up."

She nodded though she still looked worried. "I heard it's gonna rain tomorrow."

"If it does, we'll think of something else." he reassured her. "Until then there's nothing we can do but wait."

* * *

It was a cloudy morning, thankfully, it was not raining like Francine had predicted, still it was hardly a good day for a picnic. They did not change their plans though Relena was afraid their guests might cancel. If they did, then what? Heero was not worried, in fact, he was sure they would not cancel the appointment. It puzzled her, but she had her suspicions… Why would Almeida not be suspicious of her? Was Heero implying that the man had feelings for her? That thought rang so true it scared her.

She turned to him as they pulled up near the park. Her hands twisting and turning on her lap. "Are you sure I can do this? What if he suspects? What if he discovers?"

"I'm sure." he told her, laying his hand over hers. "He won't do anything to hurt you."

"How can you be so sure?" she tried not to sound exasperated, but failed. "What about you?"

"He won't do anything against me with you near."

Relena took a deep breath. "You think he has feelings for me. Is that what that rose meant?"

He looked away, watching the street ahead. "He kissed you back then…"

"How…?" she gapped at him. "You saw that?"

"Hn."

"You could have told me you knew…" her tone was both relieved and upset. "I've been blaming myself for that kiss ever since. I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid…"

Heero frowned, not sure he understood how his knowing about that kiss would change anything. He looked away again as the couple turned the corner and Francine waved to them, Relena waved back and smiled as if nothing had happened, and he let out a breath he did not know he had been holding. She had said she had been afraid to tell him… Afraid of him? Of his reaction? He did not think it was right for her to be afraid of him, she had never been before. Not even when she was under the aim of his gun.

She got out of the car, walking ahead to meet the others at the park entrance. He followed suit, picking up the heavy basket on the back seat before he did. Francine seemed truly excited, while her boyfriend looked nothing but composed, his smile was in place as usual, though it never reached his eyes, and it made Heero all the more wary of him.

The park was not big, a reflection of the small town, and it was especially empty that morning due to the unfriendly weather. They picked a spot by the lake under a big elm tree, and Relena extended a large tablecloth for them to sit and place the food on. The chilly air made Francine wrap her shawl tighter around her shoulders as they pulled the food out of their baskets and started eating. Heero kept an eye on both Relena and their supposed enemy, she seemed to be slowly easing into a conversation with him which would lead to an opening for her to acquire what they needed. Much like himself she worked well under pressure, and the only reason he knew she was unsure was because of the conversation they had had in the car.

"I think we should register this moment." she commented finally, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket. "Would you take a picture of us?" she asked Heero, handing him the device before he could answer.

Almeida smiled at him as he took the picture, this time the smile reflected in his eyes. He knew what they were doing, he knew and he did not care. Heero's eyes hardened slightly as he met the other man's, he could not help but feel like he was being laughed at and he did not like it. Was that man so sure they would not identify him? Or did he want them to? The latter seemed the most probable... He might not be being careless, but just acting accordingly to his own plan.

Once they were done taking pictures, Relena asked Almeida to hand her a glass. She was careful not to hold it where he had held it, keeping her own finger prints as far from his as she could. She could not shake the feeling that it had all been far too easy, and she guessed, by the look in Heero's eyes, that he was thinking pretty much the same thing.

"It's a pity we could not spend more time together." Almeida commented, meaning their final mission.

"The circumstances were not ideal." Relena replied with a slightly nostalgic smile. Heero wondered if she was faking it, he did not miss that mission or the time the three of them had spent together at all.

"Fair enough." Guillermo agreed. "But you've gotta admit we still had fun."

"When Heero and I were not fighting that is." she chuckled, meeting Heero's eyes. He was not happy. Was it the conversation? Or something else?

"You and Heero? Fighting?" Francine inquired perplexed. "I cannot see that happening."

"Oh, but it did." her boyfriend nodded.

"We were all tired _and _under a lot of stress." Relena justified, remembering Heero had not had a break from work in a long time when it happened. They had both been confused as well about their feelings for each other… In fact, she could not remember any other time Heero had acted as 'human' or made as many 'mistakes'. She realized then if anyone could ruin him, that person was probably her. His feelings for her were his weakness.

"I made a mess, didn't I?" Guillermo asked, though she could not know for sure what he was talking about. Was it the kiss he had given her? Or pretending he had been on Wufei's side? Had it all been pretense? From the very start? Or had something changed along the way?

Heero was right. They did not know a thing about the man.

As they said their goodbyes, Relena gave Francine a tight hug. She wanted to say a few words to her friend, but she knew it would be suspicious. _'No one may know.'_ Heero had told her, and she was starting to see that he might have been right about Almeida since the very start, so she stuck to the plan. She watched the couple walk away, from her spot on the tablecloth. The day had warmed up somewhat as the sun rays had managed to sneak through the clouds here or there.

"It's sad to be leaving so soon…"

Heero, who had been placing the dishes back into the basket, stopped and turned to her. Despite the bitterness of the statement, she had a smile on her lips. It was a sweet, gentle smile, and he thought she looked beautiful. "I never apologized to you." he said as he resumed organizing the basket.

She turned to him rather abruptly, a shocked expression on her face. "What for?"

"For the mistakes I made back then." he did not meet her eyes as he spoke. "Leaving you alone with that man again and again… Even before that, for trying to kill you so many times."

"Well…" she chuckled. "Mission failed. Besides, you did save me quite a few times already. I think that makes up for all the mistakes you believe you've made."

He knew she was being honest, yet he could not rid himself of the horrible feeling of having erred her. He felt he still was. She was never supposed to be afraid of him… Never.

"Heero?" she called a bit hesitant. "Don't you think it was a little too easy? Taking the pictures and the finger print, I mean."

"Hn." he nodded as he sat back down beside her.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It either confirms he is so cocky he believes himself out of our reach, that he's been so through we'll never find any loose ends, or he simply doesn't care if we do. In fact, he might even want us to find out who he truly is, that would also explain his careless reappearance so soon after Maxwell was shot."

"Assuming that those two things are related."

"Hn." he nodded again.

"We should go and scan those as soon as possible." Relena made a motion to stand up, but he held her wrist.

"There will be plenty of time for that later. For now, I think we should enjoy what little time we've left here."

She smiled, knowing he went out of his way for her sometimes, then slipped closer so she could lay her head on his shoulder with a sigh. "The way you phrase it sounds like we're dying and not just leaving."

"Hn."

They watched as the wind moved the dark lake water, disturbing its inaccurate reflection of the sky. A mass of light grey clouds had covered the sun once more and the rustle of leaves was all that could be heard. A couple ducklings still swam the cold waters, unaffected, soon they would be leaving, flying away from the upcoming winter.

"And we'll be running away as well…"

* * *

"I thought you were sending those to Une." Relena commented as she watched him access the Preventers' database himself.

"I won't bother Une until I'm sure Almeida's the culprit."

"You still had access? All this time?"

"Une restored it." he barely acknowledged her as he typed.

"You talked to her already?"

"Yesterday."

"Why didn't you tell me?" she sat on the desk beside his laptop, crossing her legs. "How's Duo?"

"No changes." as he leaned back in the chair, he met her eyes. "I'm running a search now, it won't be long."

"What will we do then? How can we prove he's the culprit?"

"We can't. If Preventers could not find any proof… Only Maxwell can tell us if he is the shooter or not."

"Won't discovering who he is lead us somewhere?"

"It might."

He started scrolling down the page, analyzing the pictures of the men the system had picked out. The search by finger print was still in process for only one individual could fit there, but he had hopes of finding the man among those already listed by their pictures. Suddenly, a window popped up. The finger print they had collected at noon had found its match, but the picture looked nothing like the man they knew.

Relena jumped off the desk, leaning over Heero's shoulder so she could take a better look at the picture. "It's him, Heero. It's definitely him."

The boy in the picture was thin and pale, his cheeks were smeared, his dark hair tousled and his eyes desperate and enraged. Heero did not know what Relena had seen or how she could affirm that that boy was Almeida, but he believed in her judgment. She continued staring at the picture for another minute or so, analyzing every detail. It did not change her verdict.

"His real name is Yuri Konstantin Demidov."

"He's of Russian descent?" she asked surprised.

"Not necessarily. When this picture was taken he was seven years old… He was raised in an orphanage."

"A Russian orphanage…" she leaned closer to the screen. "He was born in the same colony as you!" Heero frowned, he _had _noticed that. "So… We'll be heading to L1?"

"It must be a trap." he told her. "There is a reason why he wanted us to see this."

"What if it isn't? What if he's someone from your past?"

The boy's face was not foreign to him, but there were surely enough similar boys in L1 that Heero could not place Almeida anywhere. If the man was someone from his past then it was probably Heero's fault, even though indirectly, that they were caught up in that mess. He did not want to believe that.

"He could be." he confirmed. "But that does not mean we should be off to L1."

"You can't drop this case! We have to discover who's behind the attempted murder and the yellow rose."

"I'm not dropping the case. I'm handing it over to Preventers."

"Handing it over?" she sounded disappointed. "That's not like you."

"I cannot risk endangering you." he eyed her seriously over one shoulder. "Would you stay behind if I asked you to? And stayhidden?"

She pushed herself away from the chair, turning to lean against the desk beside him so they could stare at each other freely. That stubborn almost pouty expression on her face was all he needed. "I thought you said he wanted to marry me, not kill me."

"I never said that."

"I think you need this, Heero."

He met her eyes carefully and frowned. "Need what?"

"The action, the suspense, the adrenaline… All of it." a small slightly sad smile twisted her lips. "I'm not sure this life was meant for you." she motioned around them as she spoke. "And I want to be there with you when this case comes to a close."

"You think…" his frown deepened. What had made her think that? Had he done something wrong? He was pretty sure he had mastered that kind of life. Maybe he had not fit in as well as he had thought? He sighed. "We'll contact Preventers on the way. We'll need backup if this is truly a trap."

With a wide smile, she kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."

He watched her walk out of the room, feeling confused and frustrated. A couple days before, everything had seemed to be alright and now, suddenly, he discovered it was all wrong altogether… Relena was afraid of him, not only that but she seemed to think he had not adapted to their new way of life. Why was that? Where had he failed?

* * *

She cut off the dry leaves, one by one, letting them fall on the grass. That garden was one of the things she would miss the most about her life in France. The roses… Pink, red, white and ivory. Relena had no yellow roses in her garden, but they had them in the flower shop downtown. She still could not make sense of anything… Duo getting shot, the rose on their bed, the boy from L1… Was it really Almeida? Maybe she could discover at least if he had been the one to buy the flower. She removed her gardening gloves, leaving them with the discarded dry leaves, and walked back inside the house.

Heero was in the study, typing at his laptop, he had been there even before she woke up. She suspected he was digging all he could on Yuri Konstantin Demidov, if he remembered the boy she did not know. They were the same age, if they had ever met they had both been children at the time. It would not be surprising if he could not remember, but Relena guessed that would bother him immensely.

"I've realized something." she told him from the door.

"Hn." it was his way of telling her to 'go on'.

"The only place I know where you can find yellow roses around here is the flower shop downtown."

"You want to go question them about the one we found." Heero concluded for her without taking his eyes off whatever he was reading.

"Don't you think it's a good idea?"

"I doubt we'll learn anything interesting, but we can go if you want."

That irritated her lightly. She had thought it was a fairly good idea, it's true she had no experience investigating, but still… "I'm going. You stay put. I'll take a gun."

His puzzled expression did not amuse her this time. She wanted to prove she was more necessary than he thought. That she could do a lot more than just seduce and manipulate their enemy. Then, if Heero returned to Preventers, when this was all over, she might still have a place in his life.

The flower shop was closing when she got there, but the owner greeted her happily and answered the few questions she had without a problem. Relena had made up a story about a secret admirer sending her a rose and Heero getting angry, but the woman was not as suspicious of her questions as she had expected. Her answers were not what Relena had expected either, and she drove home even more irritated at Heero than she had been when she had left.

"It was a woman." she strolled into the study, leaning over the desk and his laptop, forcing him to look up at her. "The only person who bought yellow roses in the last few weeks was a woman. No, it wasn't Francine. I asked. It was an old lady."

"I thought so. He has yet to be careless."

Relena sighed, sitting on the desk. "I don't think an old lady could have sneaked up on you." he smirked at the thought, and, after a moment, she started laughing herself. "So… Do you have time for lunch?"

"Yes, I'm done." he closed the laptop as he said that and stood up. She stretched her arms invitingly. With a smile, he stepped between her legs and let her hug him.

"Did you discover anything else?"

Heero sighed, shaking his head where it lay on top of hers. "Nothing useful."

"You'll remember him when we get there." she whispered against his neck, her eyes closed.

"Hn."

* * *

_"[...]. He was, I take it, the most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen, but as a lover he would have placed himself in a false position. He never spoke of the softer passions, save with a gibe and a sneer. They were admirable things for the observer - excellent for drawing the veil from men's motives and actions. But for the trained reasoner to admit such intrusions into his own delicate and finely adjusted temperament was to introduce a distracting factor which might throw a doubt upon all his mental results. [...]." _A Scandal in Bohemia from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmesby Sir Arthur Conan Doyle


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